Snape's Secret
by NovelGrl89
Summary: What if Severus Snape was at one time, not so bad? What if he he actually smiled once & a while? Well, his love from long ago knew the true Severus. Do you? *Recently revised & improved. More to come*
1. Chapter 1

Snape's Secret

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining bright and Severus Snape was the happiest man in the world. What possible reason could Severus be so happy? It was because today, the most beautiful day in all time, Snape was going to ask his girlfriend of 2 ½ months to marry him. True, they had only known each other for a short time but Severus was sure that she, Serena, was the perfect girl for him.

He was already standing at her front door with a bouquet. He knocked three times. He didn't hear an answer so he rang the bell. Still no answer.

"Severus!" he heard a familiar voice shout from behind him across the street.

Severus Snape turned around to see the very girl he was looking for.

"Hey honey! I'll be right over!" she shouted from across the street. He watched her as she lugged two plastic grocery bags along with her.

Serena got to the crosswalk, looked both ways, saw no cars, and started crossing. As she crossed, sirens could be heard coming closer. She looked around again, seeing nothing, but picking up her pace anyway. But before she knew it, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Serena turned her head to the direction where the sirens were coming from. Out of nowhere a police car came zoomed out of the distance like lightning. The contact between girl and vehicle was unbearable. The innocent gave off a high-pitched yelp as the car made contact and sped off. Severus couldn't register what was happening. It all flashed before his eyes and before he figured out what happened: Serena was on the ground motionless.

Six Years Later…

Professor Severus Snape stormed into the Potion's classroom, startling several students. Immediately, the commotion he had been able to hear from the hallway began to settle.

"Quiet! If I hear a peep out of any of you, it will be detention for a month!" Professor Severus Snape strode over to his desk and sat down while the entire class stared at him expectantly. "Today, you will be concocting a silencing potion. The ingredients are on the board. You have until the end of the class to complete it, so I suggest you start now." As the class began searching for the numerous ingredients that could be found in different cupboards around the classroom, Professor Severus Snape took out of a drawer a muggle newspaper.

The only reason Professor Severus Snape even bothered with a newspaper was due to nostalgia. So, what was going on in the non-magical world today? "New satellite to Orbit Mars." Science still couldn't hold a candle up to magic though. What else? "Conjoined Twins Separated." That's good news. Was there anything worth reading though? "Woman wakes from six year coma." Good for her. Nothing very interesting though.

Professor Severus Snape looked up above his newspaper to see how the class was doing on the potion. Granger, of course, and Weasley had a perfect light purple potion. Longbottom and Potter were paired up together today, lucky for Longbottom. The clumsy 13 year old was doing slightly better today, but their potion was still quite a bit off color. Draco and Ms. Parkinson's potion was a perfect light purple. A loud burst came from the side of the room that Longbottom was on. Sure enough, he had added a tear of Centuar instead of a Unicorn. The Professor gave a small snort just in time to hear the bell ring, dismissing the class.

Meanwhile…

"There you go honey. Are you comfortable now?" An older woman was positioning her daughter's pillows so she could be more comfortable.

"Yes, thanks mom." The blonde smiled at her mother.

"Do you need anything else? A drink? The remote to the TV?"

"No, I think I'm just gonna rest a little bit."

"Oh, alright then. Call me if you need anything." The woman started walking towards the bedroom door to leave.

"Umm, mom?" The woman turned around ready to assist her daughter. "Was I seeing anyone before the accident?"

"Why do you ask honey?"

"Well, I think I might be starting to remember some things. I remember a man. He has dark hair and is very handsome. Do you know him or am I just crazy?" She added a light chuckle at the end of her question, to try to keep her constantly anxious mother at ease.

The girl's mother looked a bit concerned at how curious her daughter was being, but answered her. "Yes, we do know him." The blonde's interest spiked, glad to know that her memory really was coming back!

"Who is he? How do I know him?"

With a sigh, the woman sat in a nearby chair and tried to think of how to tell her daughter about this mystery man. She was hoping her daughter could remember it naturally, but she was curious and wanted to know. Deciding that there was no light way of putting it, she said it flat out.

"You were betrothed to that man." The young woman in the bed, had a confused look on her face as she looked at her mother.

"What do you mean?"

"You were supposed to marry him six months after the accident."

"What? You mean, you set me up in an engagement? I have no choice?"

"Maybe not anymore. His parents aren't sure if they still want you to marry him."

"Why not?" The woman, while furious that she would be part of an arranged marriage, also felt insulted that the other family would withdraw their arrangement.

If Irene knew her daughter, and she did, she would be crushed to know the truth. The girl's mother looked at her with a sympathetic face before continuing.

"It's because of the accident. They're worried you might never recover. It _has_ been six years. They had faith though. They stuck with our agreement through what happened."

There was a long pause before the young woman could say anything. But then she started.

"Can I meet him?"

"As a matter of fact, he and his parents are downstairs having tea. Should I bring him up?"

The woman perked up just a little bit and replied, "Yes, I think I'd like that." Her mother left the room and The young woman could hear her footsteps on the staircase as she walked down.

Upstairs, the she felt slightly nervous at meeting the fiancé she could barely remember. She hardly had any time to think about it however, because someone was opening the bedroom door already. In walked her mother and soon after walked in a young man fitting her description almost exactly. Her mother then began to speak.

"Serena, this is Darien."

2 months later…

"Oh, Darien! It's beautiful! I can't believe you would go through the trouble! You really didn't have to." Exclaimed a perky blonde young woman to her boyfriend.

"No, I really wanted to. You deserve it." Replied a very handsome young man holding a small velvet box with a gold and diamond necklace inside.

The lovely couple had been walking in the park when Darien surprised his girlfriend, Serena, with a diamond necklace. Little did she know that soon, Darien was going to pop _the_ question. He hoped with all his heart that she would say "yes;" he loved her so much.

"So, your birthday is this summer." Stated the young man.

"Yep, same as every year." She grinned at him, for her joke. He smiled back.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to visit Europe. As a present."

"Really? That would be amazing! Yes! Of Course!" Serena exclaimed, beaming up at him.

"Great! I'll set up the reservations. You'll only get the best of the best."

The couple finished their walk through the park and headed home, where they filled Serena's parents in on their summer plans.

Why did Dumbledore have to put Severus in this position? Almost every day, he was forced to endure the suffering of countless people. So, here he was, in his black cloak, at a Death Eater meeting. Sitting in his throne, laughing, sat Lord Voldemort.

A poor brunette girl lay naked on the dirt in the woods in front of the group of people. Three men had already taken her. Another, Lucius, was next. These meetings always made him throw up afterwards. He was sure he would do that after this meeting, just like the others.

Snape supposed he put himself in this position. He was the one begging to work at that stupid school. Beggars can't be choosers.

For six damned years, Severus Snape has been attending some of the most ghastly meetings known to wizard and muggle alike.

The girl was screaming again. The sixth time. The first time was when she woke up, surrounded by mysterious, cloaked men. The second was from when she realized she was naked and chained.

Snape was no torturer. He was no rapist. He was a good man. But a good man can't survive in this environment. So he needed to put on a mask. A mask of hatred, anger, bitterness…and evil.

At these times, he thought back. There was a girl, almost forgotten, but still there. _She_ knew him; the real, better man. Not this monster.

Here he was, almost thirty-two and already he looked like he was going on forty. Stress. It's a killer.

Three months later…

Serena and Darien sat in their first class seats on the airplane to England. Looking out the window, Serena watched as the plane left the airport. As the plane lifted off, she closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat, exhaling air she didn't realize she was holding.

"You weren't looking forward to flying were you?"

"Sorry, it's just the whole, 'suspended in mid-air' thing that makes me a little queasy."

"It's okay. Before you know it we'll be there. Why don't you take a nap?"

"Good idea. What would I do without you?" With that, Darien handed his girlfriend a blanket and pillow. Serena got herself comfortable and started her nap.

Ten Hours Later…

"Serena. Hey, it's time to get up. We've landed. We're pulling into the airport."

"Huh? What?" Serena's groggy eyes struggled to open.

"We're in London. It's time to get up." Darien started removing their carry-on luggage from the overhead compartment. After a few seconds to wipe her eyes, Serena composed herself and got out of her seat. The plane had fully stopped by now, and people were getting up to leave. Serena helped Darien carry some luggage.

"Hey, how long was I out?"

"The whole trip. Ten hours."

"Ten hours! What did you do? You didn't watch me the whole time I hope."

"Oh, yea. That's exactly what I did. Haha. No, I slept a little too, read a little, went to the bathroom a couple times…mostly just when I got tired of reading."

"Did you finish your book at least?"

"Nah, I'm a slow reader."

Stepping off the plane and into the main terminal, Serena stopped feeling bad for leaving her boyfriend with almost nothing to do. Silently, but not awkwardly, they made their way out of the airport and met with their chauffer. He was waiting for them with both their names on a small sign.

"Darien! You hired a chauffer! I can't believe you!"

"I told you. You would only get the best of the best." Not wanting to complain too much, Serena followed Darien, who followed the man, to…a limo. The couple got into the stretched out car and waited for their chauffer, Nicholas, to start the car. When he did, they were headed for their hotel (only the best). Knowing Darien came from a very well to do family and was successful in his business, she didn't concern herself too much with the expense he clearly wanted to spend on her. She hoped that didn't make her vapid. After Darien and Serena had settled into their suite at the hotel, the couple decided to go for a walk.

"Serena, how about we do some sight seeing? We could go see Big Ben or see the palace."

"Yea, I'd like that!"

After Serena changed into something more comfortable, the two headed out. During the time they spent out, they found a quaint Café and decided to stop in and take a rest. They had already visited Big Ben and were going to look at the palace. Serena even told Darien that she wanted to take pictures with those guards that aren't supposed to move. He smiled and agreed to it.

After Darien had a cup of coffee and Serena had some hot tea, the happy pair headed out again.

Severus Snape was walking through muggle London on a bright summer day. Luckily for him, it was a Saturday and Voldemort hadn't called a meeting. Severus was hoping it would stay that way. He needed to buy some new shoes, the potions he dealt so much with were not kind to leather. Sure, he could always buy them at a wizarding shop, but old habits died hard and prior to working at Hogwarts, he had mostly shopped at muggle stores.

Before shopping, he decided to have some breakfast, solo. After walking to his favorite café, Severus was seated, and handed his menu. He should have just given the waitress his order without bothering with the menu. He ordered the same thing every time. But no, he felt obligated to at least sit there with his menu until the waitress came back for him.

It took about fifteen minutes for Severus Snape to eat his scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast and sausage, and drink his coffee. He paid the bill and proceeded to the shoe store.

The store was only about three blocks away, and Severus enjoyed the bit of exercise he got from this walk.

"Hello Mr. Snape. I've got your pair all ready." Mr. Squires ran the small shoe store and knew Severus to be a regular customer. He bought his shoes every six months, once in June and once in December.

"Hello Mr. Squires. Thank you. Has the price stayed the same, or am I going to have to pull out a second mortgage on my house?"

"Haha! Why, Mr. Snape. I do believe that was a joke," replied the elderly man while retrieving Severus' usual order from the back room. "But no, the price has stayed the same."

"Well, that's good for me, I suppose." Snape followed the man to the cash register and proceeded to purchase the black (of course) shoes. Severus overpaid him, but let him keep the change. After all, this was the only person he could have a decent conversation with.

Severus minimized his purchase so he could fit it in his pocket (after exiting the store and being out of sight) and proceeded to take a walk. He passed through the main streets and came upon a street he seldom noticed before. It was about three o'clock and he had time to spare. Only one thing he could think of doing…taking a walk down the unfamiliar.

About halfway down the block, Severus came across a small café. His energy was waning, and he could go for another cup of coffee. So, he went inside. It had a very cozy atmosphere. Approaching the front counter, he ordered his coffee, retrieved it, paid and sat down at a table in the corner. He wouldn't dare take a window seat. If someone from the school were to see him here, he would be the laughing stock of Hogwarts. Not that Severus Snape cared about what his peers thought about him, but Severus Snape was not one to be laughed at.

Severus sat at his small table for about half an hour. At one point, a young girl came over and asked if he was using the second chair. He answered her with a simple 'no' and she walked off with it.

He continued to just sit there. His coffee was long gone, but he still sat there, thinking. He didn't even think about anything in particular, just thought. Severus Snape even continued to sit there when he heard laughter as the café door opened for a couple.

Yes, he still sat, but this time, he looked up. Confusion was plastered on his face while chaos took over his insides. A girl had just walked in. She looked so much like her, like the girl he knew so long ago. She even sounded like her. But no, it couldn't be. That girl died in a hit and run. She hadn't moved. What else could it have been? She didn't move!

Severus overheard the man she had entered with say a name, _her_ name! They even shared a name! But she died! It couldn't be! This couldn't be her! Who was this man?

Severus watched them. They were totally oblivious. He continued to watch them for about half an hour. Until they left.


	2. Chapter 2

Snape's Secret

Chapter 2

Serena and Darien had visited all the hot spots they could think of. It was starting to get dark.

"We should head back to the hotel before we really start feeling that jet lag." Suggested Darien.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Serena replied, already feeling a little sleepy. With that, the two started walking their way back to the hotel.

On their walk, Serena spotted a gift shop. There was a glass figurine of a bunny that caught her special attention.

"Oh, Darien! Look at that! Isn't it beautiful?" Darien made his way over to the window and looked on with her.

"Indeed it is. Wait right there." He kissed her quickly, squeezed her hand slightly and walked into the gift shop asking to see the figurine. The shopkeeper took it out of the window display and Darien checked it to make sure it wasn't missing anything or broken anywhere. After it was bought and paid for, Darien stepped out of the store and turned towards where he left his girlfriend. Only… She wasn't there.

Thinking she might be playing one of her games, Darien started comically calling out for her. The problem was, she didn't answer. This is when Darien started to panic a little… and then a lot.

"SERENA!" Darien ran up and down the length of the block, but couldn't find a trace of her! She had disappeared.

A while after the couple left the café, Severus continued to sit in shock and disbelief. However, the absence of the girl made him come to the conclusion that it indeed was just a girl the looked like her and ironically shared her name.

Severus Snape left the café and headed for Diagon Alley, then to Knockturn Alley. He needed to pick up some potions ingredients that are in more abundance coming from more questionable sources. He spent several hours walking along the forbidden streets before he decided to head back to Hogwarts. Just as he started back though, a harsh pain made it's way up his forearm. He was being summoned. Snape looked around and noticed that several other cloaked figures were making their way to secluded areas to apparate to the meeting.

Severus should do the same, well, if he wanted to keep his life anyway. Quickly, Severus occupied a side alleyway and disapparated to meet Voldemort.

At the Meeting

Severus always regretted coming to these meetings. Today though, he wasn't totally sure if he would be depressed or thankful.

Severus apparated to a secluded spot in the front of the Riddle house. He could hear several other 'pops' in the distance that signified other Death Eaters arriving.

Not wanting to be late for the meeting (else he be punished), Snape stalked into the building.

Dark energy was buzzing around and the atmosphere was full of anticipation. Severus could hear quiet whispers making their way around the room. Severus was curious. Rarely did this kind of activity occur. It could only meant two things. Either the Death eaters are being greatly rewarded… or terribly punished.

A new presence entered the room. It was Wormtail. At his entrance, a hush filled the room. Seconds passed before the evil man himself entered. Slowly, the terrible man strode over to his throne in the front of the room. He sat there for some time, building up suspense.

"I have good news for you all." He paused for dramatic effect. "We have been a society for fifty years. We have done well. I am willing to reward you all for such an exemplary job." Voldemort got up and walked over to a doorway at the side of the room. "Today, several of you have managed to collect some rare beauties." Voldemort opened the door and in the next room lay about a dozen young women.

Severus scanned the beaten faces of the unfortunate girls. Most were brunettes. Some had black hair. A couple red heads. But one girl in particular stood out. She was the only blonde.

She had an eerily familiar hairstyle, but Severus couldn't see her face. Her hair was covering it as she lay there on the floor.

"Now men. These creatures are your congratulatory present." Almost immediately, some of the members started to head over to the unconscious women. "But first." Suspenseful pause as the men stopped. "I have noticed at all of our meetings, one of you has neglected to take advantage of my generosity. It is this man who will take the first pick."

Severus knew what was coming. He too noticed that he stood out when it came to these meetings. He had to think of something fast. It seemed as if Voldemort immediately appeared in front of him though, without a 'pop' from apparition.

"Why is it, Severus Snape, that you have neglected my little presents?" It was a rather unflattering pose, to be in a long, black cloak with a white skull mask and your mouth gaping. For once in his life though, Severus Snape didn't know what to say.

"I uh … haven't yet seen anything to my liking." It definitely wasn't the wisest thing to say, but it was all he could think of at the moment that might save him from extreme torture.

"Are you saying I have bad gift ideas?" The snake faced man smirked and evil grin.

"No, My Lord."

"Well then, maybe you'll find something to your liking today. Here, pick one."

Voldemort led Severus over to the selection of victims. Hesitantly, Severus looked them over, unsure of what to do.

He spotted the blonde girl again. Looking around for any sign of protest, Severus turned her over to see her face. It was her face. It was her again. The same girl from the café. She looked like her, the girl he knew before. The one he loved.

Doing his best to keep his exterior calm, Severus was panicking on the inside. He looked around again. Knowing he shouldn't push his luck, and it just might hurt to ask, Severus was still willing to take that chance.

"My Lord, may I trouble you for a _private_ room?" Severus asked, as he stood beside his pick.

"Well, well, well. It looks like you can be pleased after all. I'm surprised. You struck me as someone who would go for brunettes. But yes, you can have a room upstairs." Relieved, Severus picked the girl up and made his way up stairs. As he climbed the steps, he could see his peers rush for the room with the other girls. He felt sorry, but he couldn't do anything for the rest that didn't mean his life.

After picking the first bedroom he crossed, Severus placed the girl on the bed. He did not intend on doing anything either to or with her, but he concluded that he should wake her up. He quickly placed a silencing charm on the room.

Walking back to the large, four poster bed, Severus sat down. He looked at her, observing how she lay there. Being on a more comfortable surface, her body had visibly relaxed. Gently, he took her hand and tapped it to wake her. She did. She had beautiful cerulean eyes. But now, they were filled with a mix of bewilderment, confusion and fear. She screamed. This is precisely why Severus put up the silencing charm. She obviously didn't know him. She wasn't her. Why else would she scream?

She was scrambling to get off the now and running around the room, looking for a way out. With much effort though, Severus strode over to her and held her still.

"Please be quiet. I'm not here to hurt you. I want to save you."

The girl looked at the man quizzically, unsure if she could trust his word. She tried to think back to what she last remembered.

Serena watched Darien go into the gift shop and buy the figurine. As he turned to leave the store though (she could see him through the window), she heard someone behind her whisper.

"Stupefy." Her world went black.

When Serena woke up, she was in unfamiliar surroundings. She was lying on a large, four poster bed with a vaguely man holding her hand. She didn't recognize him, but something about him seemed a bit familiar. But what was she doing on a bed with a man she didn't know? Only one thing to do. Scream and try to get away.

"AHHHH!" Serena continued screaming as she panicked to find a way out of the large room. She ran around the room until she felt a pair of strong arms hold her still. The embrace was familiar, as if she had been in it before. But the situation at hand was too overpowering and Serena was panicking. "What do you want with me? Why are you doing this?" Serena struggled to break free.

"Listen to me. If you open that door and go outside, you will encounter other men that _will_ rape _and_ kill you." At this, Serena stopped flailing. She stood there, knowing that she had to trust this man. Sure, he might do the very same thing that he described those other men would do, but she had to take that chance. What other option did she have if she wanted to keep her life?

As Severus felt Serena calm down, he released his grip on her. She stood there for a moment, seemingly contemplating her options. Serena, defeated, sighed and retreated to the four poster bed. She sat down and miserably looked up at Severus. Severus looked back at her.

"So, what am I supposed to do? Or what are you going to do with me?" Severus concluded that he had some time before he started to look suspicious to the other Death eaters. He sat on the bed next to her. Serena started to look nervous. She wasn't comfortable with this man so close to her in such a bad situation. She hardly trusted him already.

Severus sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes widened as an idea sprang into his head. It was risky, but it was all he could think of that had a chance of working. Hurriedly, he ran over to the door to make sure it was closed. Then rushed back to the bed. Again, he startled Serena. He noticed this, but didn't want to waste any time. He gently took her hands and had her stand. Pulling out his wand, Severus prepared himself for a spell.

"What's that?" Serena was pointing to Severus' wand. Of course. She was a muggle. She had no idea what he was about to do. Severus had some explaining to do when this was over, if they got that far.

"That doesn't matter right now. I just have to ask you to completely trust me right now." Serena figured that someone out to hurt her would, most likely, not ask for her trust, at least in this kind of situation.

"Fine."

"Good." He muttered a few words Serena couldn't hear clearly, while pointing his wand at a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. He handed it to her and, in an instant, she was gone.

Now, to set his plan into action and try to not get killed in the process. Severus went around the room knocking things over, making it look like there had been a struggle. As he did this, he took down the silencing charm. He also tried to make it look like Serena had thrown in her fair share of punches. He could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. At this, Severus threw his wand to the far corner and threw himself on the floor. It may have looked pathetic, and the dark lord would have some serious questions, but Severus Snape could think of nothing else to do.

Serena Tsukino appeared in a large room. It was dark. Really dark. If she looked straight though, Serena could see a faint light. Was she dead? God no! Had that man killed her? Had he lied after she put her trust in him? Where was she? Should she go to the light? Should she accept death? What else could she do?

She cried.

After about fifteen minutes of panicking and crying out of terror, Serena accepted that she was probably dead. Slowly, she got off the cold floor and started walking towards the faint crack of light. Her tear-stained face expressed her emotion without words. Serena reached the door that the light was coming through the cracks of. As she turned it, Serena started panicking, wondering if, when she opened the door, she would be in Heaven or Hell. Surely she wouldn't go to Hell. What had she done to deserve Hell?

She opened the door.

What she saw before her was unlike anything she had been thinking. In front of Serena was what looked like a classroom. A woman, Serena could only assume worked here, stared at the newcomer with a gaping mouth. After this woman, who looked about eighty, got over her shock, she hurried over to Serena and ushered her back into the room she had come out of.

The older woman lit some candles and brought light to the dark room. Serena could now see that the room she was in was actually a rather spacious sitting room or office of some kind. The other woman opened a curtain and turned to face Serena who had a look of total ignorance to what was going on.

"I've never seen you before. Who are you?" It was the old woman that asked this. Serena felt that she should be the one asking who this other woman is though. Despite this, Serena spoke her name.

"Uh, I'm Serena. A man told me he would help me. He took out a stick and said something. Somehow I wound up here." Serena started to realize the true extent of what was happening to her. She started to tear up again. "I want to go home. What's going on? He said there were more men that were going to kill me if I didn't trust him. What's going to happen to me?"

The older woman looked at the girl now with a softer expression. She walked over to the poor girl.

"Here, why don't we sit down? Now, you said your name was Serena? My name is Minerva. Could you tell me the last thing you remember?" Serena simply recited what she had just said. "I see. Well, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until we can figure out something to do with you. Now I assure you, nothing bad will happen to you if you stay in this building. If you would come with me, I can take you to meet the headmaster.

"Wait." Minerva turned to look at the frantic girl, but now saw a girl with a slight look of defiance in her eyes. "Where am I? What are those sticks that you and that man have? How did I get here?"

"All of your questions will be answered by the headmaster." Serena responded with an unhappy, defeated face but followed the woman through vast and various hallways. There were paintings on the walls. But they weren't just any paintings. These paintings _moved_. Some even waved at her as she passed by.

Serena must have been dreaming. She had to be. What else could explain all of this. Magic? No. That's impossible. Magic didn't exist. Serena resolved to herself that she must have, for some strange reason, fallen asleep at the gift shop window and she was dreaming. Maybe Darien would see that she had fallen asleep and carry her to the hotel. No, she wanted Darien to wake her up. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be with Darien, at their hotel.

Severus Snape was in pain. A lot of it. Voldemort was apparently very upset to hear that the muggle girl managed to overcome an inner circle Death Eater. He decided to act out his fury on Snape. A lot. By the end of the night, Snape had several gashes releasing an immense amount of blood. Snape could tell that Voldemort was careful not to kill him though. Voldemort only wanted him to 'learn a lesson.'

Despite his extreme pain at the moment, Snape was relieved when the meeting was over. He needed to get back to the girl. He had hoped, when he sent her to Hogwarts, that she would stay put. He might have to answer a few questions otherwise. So, Severus Snape stalked into Hogwarts with a slight limp. He was too proud to openly display that he was hurt. He made his way to the hospital wing and asked if Poppy could heal any of his wounds. She accepted and proceeded to cast a variety of healing charms, pursing her lips at the extent of the damage.

It took about an hour to patch up the various wounds he had. It was getting late. Severus had to get to his room and do something about the girl. He couldn't just let her go now. It wasn't safe for her anymore. Who knew, maybe Voldemort was even looking for her. He had to come up with a plan. Should she stay here? Would Dumbledore allow it? She was a muggle after all. Severus was almost at his room when Argus found him.

"Severus. Dumbledore wants to see you. Said it's urgent."

Shit.

Following orders, Severus started for the headmaster's office. What should he say? What _could_ he say? 'Oh, hello Albus. Sorry about the confusion, but I was supposed to rape and kill this girl but I sent her here instead.'…Actually, that didn't sound too bad.

He said the password that revealed the staircase up to the headmaster's office. Severus climbed the stairs and knocked on the large wooden door.

"Come in Severus." Severus opened the door and stepped inside. He looked around and noticed that the girl was sitting in a large armchair in front of Dumbledore's desk, Minerva was standing a little bit off to the side and Albus had a small smile on his face.

Cautiously, Severus made his way to the armchair the girl was sitting in. He knew Albus may be up to something. He had to use every word with caution.

"So, Severus. This charming young lady tells me that you sent her here."

"I did."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No."

"Well, then, if I am unaware of our situation, I'm afraid that she may not be able to be helped. She had also told us that you said there were other men out to kill her." Severus looked at the petrified girl sitting in the overly stuffed chair. With a sigh of defeat, Severus confessed that she was to be a victim at a Death Eater meeting.

"Why did you help me?" Severus turned to where the question came from. She looked so much like her. But this girl had no idea who he was. It couldn't be her.

"I'm not evil."

"Thank you." Nobody had said that to Severus in a long time. A very long time. He froze for a few seconds before responding.

"You're welcome."

"Well, Severus. I think we have to find a resolution as to what to do about her." Inwardly grimacing, Severus turned his attention to the old man. He hated it when people were spoken about as if they weren't in the room. "I think it's safe to say that it's no longer safe for her to wander the streets."

"No! I need to leave." This sudden outburst startled the other people in the room. The girl jumped out of her chair as she started ranting. "I have a family. And a boyfriend." She froze. "Oh My God! Darien! He's probably having a heart attack wondering where I am! I have to get back to him! I can't stay here! I have to leave!"

"I'm afraid you can't leave. At least not yet. We need to make sure that, if we do let you go, that no one will be out to hurt you."

"No!" The poor girl was in tears now. "I have to leave! Darien is going to call the police and then what will you do? Huh?" Through her tears, her eyes held a look of defiance now. "What are you gonna do when they find you? They'll arrest you for kidnapping! You know they will!"

"I'm afraid you don't understand-"

"You seem to be afraid of a lot of things old man! Send me home, or I'll find a way to contact Darien!"

"Please, dear, please calm down." Minerva broke in.

"No! I'm not your 'Dear.' All I want to do is go home! I don't care if these people are looking for me! Darien and I will leave. We're not even English! We'll just go back to Japan!" Japan? That's were _she_ was from. Where he had spent time with her, until the accident.

Darien was frantic. He had called out for Serena while running all around town for about three hours. He even checked back at the hotel room to see if she had left without him, which would have been very unlike her. After some time, Darien went to the police. He ran into the building that took him about half an hour to find.

"I need to report a missing person!" He didn't even wait to get to a police officer before shouting it out for the entire room to hear. A young woman with short brown hair came up to him and had him sit down at her desk. Darien was fidgety as she calmly asked her questions. What color hair did she have? What was her name? What was her body type? When the questioning was over, the woman told Darien that all he could do now was to wait for anything to come up.

Reluctantly, Darien left the building and started walking back to the hotel. It was close to eleven now, and he was really starting to feel that jetlag. But he couldn't help feeling as though something just wasn't right. Not just about Serena's kidnapping(what else could it be?), but how it happened. He would have heard her if she put up any struggle. Knowing Serena, she would definitely put up a struggle. So, Darien went back to the gift shop to look for any sign of struggle.

He surveyed the area but could see nothing. Luckily, though, there were street lights and Darien noticed something on the noticed something reflect on the wall of the gift shop. After closer inspection, Darien saw that it looked like some kind of shining green dust. He didn't know what it was, but Darien knew it had something to do with Serena's kidnapping.

Darien touched it and felt his fingers go numb. Could this dust have been used to perhaps numb Serena? But how would anyone get close enough to do it?

It wasn't long until the girl's ranting led her to faint. She was moved to a sofa on the side of the large office.

"So, Severus. What were you planning on doing about her?"

"Well, Headmaster, I was planning on her staying here until I have established when it is safe for her to leave."

"A fine decision for now. But will she comply? I think we have already seen the fighting spirit this girl has. Would you like to arrange a room for her to stay?"

"No. I think she should stay in one of my side rooms. I need to make sure she doesn't go running off.

"Alright Severus. That is all. If you would like to take her with you now, please go ahead."

Severus got out of his chair across from the headmaster and picked up the girl lying on the couch. He started walking back to his room. He tried really hard to avoid meeting any students in the hallway. Sure, it was August, students should be at home, but some students wanted to get an early start at the school year or their parents went away on holiday, leaving their children in need of a place to stay. In these cases, students came early. It was normally no big deal. The headmaster would be happy to have all the students at the school all year round. Despite his attempts, he still encountered a student or two. They all had dumbfounded looks on their faces at seeing him with a woman, or really anyone.

When he reached his rooms, he picked out a guest room and placed the girl on the bed. When he left the room, he set up a charm that would alert him once she had woken up. He didn't have to wait very long. Almost as soon as he got into his own bedroom, the alarm went off.

Severus raced over to the room she was in and saw her just getting off the bed. She looked in his direction.

"If I can't go home now, when _can_ I go home? And what will you do about the police that will come looking for me?"

"One: I'm not sure when you can go home. Not yet. Two: The police won't be able to find you. Not here." The girl had a defeated look, but appeared to accept what was happening to her.

"Why?" Severus couldn't think of any way to explain to explain the situation to the poor girl without revealing the wizarding world. Besides, what would she be able to do about it?

"I trust you know what witches and wizards are." She nodded in recognition, so he continued. "Everyone in this building, except you, is either a witch or wizard. Well, Argus is a squib, but his parents were magical." The girl looked at him like he was crazy. To any other muggle, he would sound crazy too. Severus could see he was getting nowhere, so he took out his wand, planning on giving her a demonstration.

"What is that?"

"It's a wand."

"What does it do?" She scoffed before continuing. "Do you make magic with it?"

"Yes." Obviously not the answer the girl was looking for.

"Prove it."

"That's what I was going to do." She shut up.

Severus cast a few minor spells: calling a book from a shelf to him, cleaning the girl's clothes off and turning a sofa into a puppy. She looked absolutely dumbfounded and was speechless. The new puppy ran up to her and she bent down to pick it up.

"Do you want it?"

"What?"

"Do you want to keep the dog?" She looked down at the small creature in her arms and nodded.

"Ok then. I think that if you're going to be staying here, I should at least know your name." Of course, Severus remembered her name, but he wanted to be sure of it, in case he heard wrong earlier.

"Serena. My name's Serena." He heard right.

"My name is Severus Snape. It's late and we've both been through a lot. Try to get some sleep. I'll do the same." Before leaving, Severus transfigured some blankets into a small bed for the new dog. He also transfigured some clothes for Serena. After this, Severus opened the door and started walking out. "Oh, and please don't try to leave. If any of the students see you there will be questions that I would really rather not answer." Serena nodded in agreement and set the dog down. She decided to change into a nightgown Severus had transfigured for her. Then she went to bed.

While she was doing this, Severus was finding it hard to fall asleep. She looked exactly like her, sounded like her, God, she even had her name! Severus decided it was probably not a good idea to keep thinking about it for now and he tried to sleep. But his sleep was haunted by memories of her, from before.

Serena woke several hours later. There were no windows, only candles. But they weren't lit. It took a few seconds before her stomach made a noise. She was hungry.

Slowly, Serena stumbled her way across the room. Once, she tripped over the dog and heard it yelp. She had no idea where she was going in the darkness, but after some time, she found the door. She opened it and found herself in a hallway. She looked back and forth and saw dim lighting to her left. She decided to take that route. It was a long walk for a hallway, but Serena finally managed to get to her destination. It was a sitting room. She looked around. No television. How weird.

She tried looking around for a kitchen. What she found wasn't much of a, but it was something. There was a small stove, a sink, a small refrigerator and a few cabinets. Serena searched the cabinets looking for something to eat. She found some coffee and crackers. This guy lived with the bare minimum. Serena made some coffee and took a packet of crackers. If she was going to be staying here for a while, why not get comfortable? She walked around with her coffee and crackers and looked at the various bookshelves that lined the walls. He didn't have any comic books. Bummer. Well, he didn't exactly look like the comic book reading type. These books were mostly about magic it seemed. Still, Serena scanned the different books looking for something decent to read. She was bored.

Serena heard some footsteps behind her and she turned around. In the hallway entrance stood a very sleepy looking Severus. He stared at her for a little while before turning and walked to the tiny kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see coffee ready, he had seen Serena with some. He poured himself a mug of the dark liquid and looked for his crackers. He couldn't find any. Apparently, Serena had taken the last pack.

"Did you take my crackers?"

"Yeah." Serena had gone back to looking for a book.

"Oh." Instead of getting angry, like Serena had thought he would be, Severus walked over to the sitting area and sat down drinking his coffee.

Serena had picked a book off the shelf and sat on a smaller armchair next to Severus. She offered him some crackers, which he gladly accepted, and opened her book.

Severus watched her read. Her hair was down and she situated her self on the chair with her feet cross-legged.

"If you're going to be staying here, I think we should know more about each other." Serena looked up from her book. It was too hard to understand. She had picked out _The Magic in Physics_. Plus, she could barely see the tiny words without her glasses.

"Fine. But I get to ask about you first." Severus pondered this and accepted.

"Why did you decide to help me?" With a disappointed face, Severus answered her.

"You remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"That's not important. It's my turn." Severus had noticed that she seemed to have a hard time reading. "Do you wear glasses?"

"Yea. How'd you know?"

"Well, I noticed you seemed to be having a hard time reading that book. Plus, it was upside down.

"Well, apparently, I haven't always worn glasses. I was in an accident a few years ago. When I woke up, the doctors said that I had amnesia and my eyes were damaged a little. They said I would need glasses."

Severus stared at Serena with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. It couldn't be! Could it? Was it her? The same girl that has haunted his dreams for six years. Amnesia? That would explain everything! She wasn't dead! She was alive! She was alive! She was right there with Severus! Alive and well! They could be together again! But who was that 'Darien' guy? He had to make sure.

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

"Your accident. What was it?"

"Oh. Well, I was told that I was walking across the street and a police car hit me. I hear it was pretty graphic. My mother wasn't there, but she said that that's what eye witnesses said. Apparently, the policeman driving the car was put on suspension."

"Where were you walking to?"

"My house. I didn't live with my parents at the time. I had my own place. Why are you asking all this?"

"Is your name Serena Tsukino?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Please just answer that one question!" Severus was getting excited. Already he was leaning forward in apprehension, waiting for her answer.

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

Snape's Secret

Chapter 3

Severus Snape stared at the woman before him in utter amazement. It _was_ her. They could start all over again. The ideas running through Severus' mind were endless. They could be happy again! He could leave this God forsaken place and they could get married! Just like he had planned! He stood up in a rush, the excitement uncharacteristically evident on his face. He seemed to be pacing, but he was really just trying to figure out whether he should embrace her or retrieve the engagement ring that he had held onto these past six years. He settled for embracing her. Serena seemed startled at the sudden contact with the strange man.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, God! Serena! I thought you were dead! You didn't move! All I could do was watch! The car just came out of nowhere! I didn't know what to do!"

"What are you talking about?" Serena looked seriously confused and was slowly backing away from Severus, after relieving herself from his grip. "The car? You mean the police car? My accident? What do you know about it?"

"I was there! Serena." Severus sat her down with him. "Six years ago, we were in a relationship." Serena only had a face of utter shock. Severus thought he should try to explain better to her. "Wait right there."

Severus got up and almost sprinted back to his room. He knew exactly where it was. The engagement ring that he was going to give her that day. He opened the box that held the simple, yet beautiful band. He jogged back to the room Serena was sitting in. He sat back down next to Serena and opened the box in front of her.

"We were seeing each other. I was going to give you this the day of the accident. I went to your house and you were just getting home. You were crossing the street. God! I remember it like it was yesterday! Serena. Tell me you remember me!" Severus could see she was about to say something, but he continued. "I know you have amnesia, but we had something special. Please don't tell me I've lost you. You're the only woman I've ever really loved." Serena just looked at Severus with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.

"I'm sorry. If what you say is true, please believe that I am so sorry. But I don't remember you. I'm already seeing someone. We've been betrothed since before the accident. He's a good man and treats me well." Neither Serena nor Severus knew what to do. There was some time of awkward silence before Serena got up to go to her room. She stayed there the rest of the day.

A week went by and Serena was very quiet and seemed as though she was trying not to get in Severus' way.

The new school term was beginning and Severus had his hands full trying to prepare the classroom and his lesson plans for the incoming students. All of this gave him some distraction from the girl that he was intending on winning back. Unfortunately, with so much on his plate, Severus had too little time to try and woo the blonde beauty. One day, Serena came up to Severus, which was a very rare event.

"Do you know when I can go home?" Severus looked at her with a sad smile. She still didn't want to stay with him. He couldn't blame her. He hadn't exactly been the most attentive person lately.

"I haven't had time to make sure that it's safe to leave yet. I'm sorry." Severus watched Serena's retreating figure as she slowly made her way back to her room. For some time, Severus stood there, in the same spot, contemplating what would make her happy (other than sending her home) and potentially make her want to stay.

"Two weeks detention with Mr. Filch, Potter!" Severus Snape was frustrated. He was stuck with these juvenile delinquents while Serena was all alone in his quarters, trying to find a way to entertain herself.

The dismissal bell rang and Snape let his class leave. He strode over to his desk so that he could grade some papers. Maybe if he got them done now, he could spend some time with Serena later. Just as Snape sat down however, he sensed another presence on the opposite side of his desk. He looked up and saw none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Professor, why didn't you assign Potter a detention with _you_, why Filch? You know just as well as I do that he won't torture Potter nearly as much as you can."

"Mr. Malfoy, It may come as a surprise to you, as well as the rest of the student body, but I have things that I enjoy doing things other than spending my time babysitting a bunch of unworthy misfits every night. Now if that is all, Mr. Malfoy, please hurry off to your next class." Taken aback by Snape's slight outburst, Draco hustled out of the room and left Snape to himself.

Snape decided to take his work to his rooms. Maybe there he could concentrate a little better. He scooped up the pile of work and proceeded to walk into his quarters. As he opened the door, he spotted Serena sitting on one of the couches wearing a pair of glasses he had conjured for her and reading a book on the various ways of treating a dragon bite. She obviously didn't hear him open the door because she continued to sit there without even flinching.

Quietly, Severus placed his papers on the nearest table and made his way over to the sitting room. Serene didn't even realize he was there until Severus made his presence known.

"Serena?" Serena jumped a little with surprise and realized who was in the room. This made her withdraw into the couch. "Serena, I think we should talk. I mean, we haven't spoken in a while, and when we do it's always something small."

Serena sat there staring at the man in front of her. She seemed to be contemplating whether or not speaking with him was a good idea. Realizing that she didn't have much to lose at this point, Serena shifted to allow room for the man to take a seat. She remained silent as Severus took his place on the sofa.

For some time, it had been troubling him as to why Serena couldn't remember him. At one time, he considered whether the 'stupefy,' that he was sure was used on her, could have erased her memory. After this thought, he had visited Dumbledore who had promptly informed him that that was not possible. Severus now planned on talking to the girl to try to figure out why she did not know him.

"Serena." He wasn't sure where to begin. He stared at her for a short while before he could muster up enough strength to continue. "I don't think we started off very well. I'd like to apologize for my behavior. I realize that I haven't been the most attentive person. Let me start by telling you a little something about myself. A long time ago, I had met someone. She was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. In fact, I was going to propose to her." Severus paused and let the information sink into Serena. He noticed that Serena seemed genuinely interested. "The last I saw of her though, she was lying on the ground after getting hit by a car. This truth seemed to pique an interest in Serena. Gradually, the girl moved closer to the man next to her.

"What happened to her?"

"Until a short while ago, I thought she was dead."

"Why didn't you do anything? Did you just leave her there to die?"

Hearing Serena say this, hearing the words come out of her own mouth made his reality so much more terrible. He could hardly stand it. And he knew that this Serena, this stranger, had no idea that he was really talking about her.

"Well?" Severus hadn't realized that she had asked him a question.

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you leave her there to die?" Severus Snape had never thought of it like that before. Now though, it certainly did sound that way.

"I-I don't know. I think I was afraid. Afraid to find out if she was really, truly dead and if our relationship, what we had together, would be over forever."

"Oh." Serena sat, contemplating his answer. "But didn't you ever want to know what did happen to her? How long ago did that all happen?"

"...Six years ago."

"And you never wanted to know what happened to her?" Serena had stood up by this point and was becoming quite animated about her opinion. "I mean, she was the love of your life! If you really loved her, you should have sat by her bedside if she lived. If she had died, you should have, at the very least, attended her funeral!"

Severus sat in complete silence when Serena was finished. She seemed to remember where she was, and promptly sat back down. Her face was redder than that a Weasley's hair. Severus peered at her though the corner of his eye to see her with her head down and blushing profusely. The poor girl was practically in fetal position and cowering to the couch corner. He felt awkward.

"...Serena?" Severus could just see the glint of her eyes, shifting to glance at him. "Serena, you're completely right. I loved her so much. I should have been there for her." The cowering girl before him mustered up whatever courage that remained in her frail body to reply.

"Then you should find out what has become of her."

"I already know."

"Do you?" Curiosity overtook Serena as she inched closer to the man, eager to hear more. When Severus didn't respond, her face dropped to that of disappointment, but she tried to encourage him to continue. Severus seemed to be having trouble with something. Whatever it was though, Serena was determined to solve whatever problem he had.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." Severus wasn't expecting this. He noted that Serena had grown more courageous in the past ten minutes.

"Are you sure you want to know?" His only response was a blonde head nodding vigorously. "Alright... she doesn't remember me. Not just our relationship, but me entirely." He paused. "I've met her again. Initially, she was terrified by the sight of me. She's still as beautiful as I remember her. I can only hope she can remember what we had together." He stopped and looked at Serena. She had a face of complete wonder. "Does any of this sound familiar?" Serena sat back to think. It was about twenty seconds before her eyes widened and she jumped from her spot on the couch.

"You can't possibly mean-?"

"It's true."

Serena stared at Severus in complete wonder. This man before her could possibly hold answers to the missing parts in her memory.

"But I don't remember you."

"Why? That's what I don't understand! Why don't you remember me?" Severus had been pacing around the coffee table, but stopped now to look at Serena. "You were in a car accident six years ago, were you not?"

"How did you-?"

"How badly were you hurt?"

Serena squirmed. She wasn't comfortable talking about her accident. Severus saw this and softened. "I think it's important that you tell me this. I can help you remember me." With a defeated sigh, Serena saw no way around it.

"I was in a coma these past six years. I only recently came out of it. The doctors said it was a miracle. I had massive head trauma."

The potions professor went back to pacing. "So, it probably wasn't the spell." He seemed to be lost in thought as Serena picked herself up from her seat.

"I'll just be going to my room then." She said in almost a whisper. If he came looking for her later, she could still say that she told him where she was going. So Serena sneaked away.

No one can ever be sure what exactly was going through Severus Snape's head for the remainder of that day, but any student that had the pleasure of coming across him could only describe his composure as... 'calculating.'

The next day, Serena woke to a bit of sunshine poking in from the tiny window towards the top (practically the ceiling) of one of her walls. Perhaps today would be a nice day. So, Serena hopped out of bed and made her way to her bathroom.

She was beginning to feel a bit guilty. This man, Severus, had been as kind as he could be to her, and yet, she still distanced herself from him. Especially when he told her of his lost love, did she feel badly.

When she finished showering, Serena got dressed and walked out of her room. She, almost merrily, strolled down the hallway that led to the main room, but stopped when she heard voices, voices that didn't belong to Severus. She peeked around the corner of the hallway and living room to see two faces in the fireplace, speaking to Severus.

Severus didn't seem alarmed; so Serena figured he must know these people...wait. Heads...in a fireplace? How was that accomplished? They didn't appear to be in pain and Severus didn't appear alarmed, was he used to this? Heads floating in fire?

The conversation seemed to be dying down, the three men said their goodbyes and the two heads disappeared. Severus picked himself up from his position on the floor and headed to the small kitchen area. He must have sensed Serena watching him, because he turned around once he passed her.

"How much did you hear?" Serena was like a deer caught in headlights. She was speechless and didn't know what to do.

"N-nothing."

"Serena, are you being honest with me?" she nodded. "Do you think they saw you at all?" She shook her head. Not once did she remember them looking in her direction. Serena felt like she was being interrogated, and she was making it quite obvious. Severus lightened up a little. "I just think you should know that if they find out you're here, you could be in serious danger. You should stay out of sight until I find a way to ensure your safety." Serena's throat was dry. She was unable to say anything, so she nodded in consent.

Severus turned and started walking towards the kitchen. Serena followed him. The kitchen was her original destination anyway.

It was a school day, so Serena was forced to stay in Severus' quarters. It was so dreary. It depressed her. There was no point of getting out of bed for now. Oh wait, there was. She had to feed Watson. He was growing a little every day. Sure, it was already noon, but Serena just got out of her cushiony bed while in her PJ's, all to feed the puppy Severus had given her.

Watson watched her get up from his own bed in the corner. His head perked up and he stood and stretched.

"Come on boy. Let's get you some food." The small dog ran around her in excitement and barked, as if to say 'Yay! Food!'

Severus had told her that she shouldn't have to worry about noise because he had, quote 'placed a silencing charm' on his quarters. So Serena didn't mind that Watson was making so much noise.

She had reached the kitchen and pulled out his food. She was about to pour it in his bowl, but realized that he would be waiting for it as she poured it. But he was nowhere in sight.

"Watson?" No answer. "Watson?" Still no answer. "Hey, boy, where are you?" Barking and then stumbling could be heard in the next room, the study, where the door to Severus' classroom was. She peered around the corner, into the study. The classroom door was slightly open and Watson was running towards it, barking. "Watson! No!"

Serena ran to the small dog and reached out to grab him before he could run out the door and into the classroom, where Severus' students could see him. She was too late…sort of.

About thirty young faces turned to look at the newcomer. Some with confusion, some had wonder written on their faces, but one had panic. That one strode, rather quickly, up to the doorway Serena was now occupying, panic still clear on his face. He closed the door behind him after getting the young woman back into his study.

"What are you doing?" He was whispering. Had the silencing charm worn off? Had Severus forgotten to cast it that morning? Serena just stared at him like a deer in headlights.

"I was trying to stop Watson from going into your classroom." Serena was terrified. Sure, she had seen Severus angry, but there was something different about his tone right now. It wasn't so much angry at her, but scared for her.

"It would have been safer to just let him interrupt. At least I can explain that without _too_ much trouble. But a woman? Much less a woman that I was supposed to kill?" Snape walked over to his bar and got some firewhiskey out from the storage.

"What?"

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"You should have let Watson go in the classroom. It would have been better than what happened."

"No. You were supposed to kill me?"

"Yes! That's why I've been killing myself trying to keep you safe. There's a price on your head Serena. But now that everyone knows that there's a girl in my quarters that fits your description, Voldemort is going to ask for me and, trust me, he is NOT going to be happy." Serena was at a loss for words. The two of them were silent for a long while, until Severus remembered he had a class awaiting his return.

The potions professor made his way back into the room filled with young Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Fortunately, Snape knew there were no death eater children in this class. Unfortunately, Hufflepuffs were known for gossiping. Snape pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, fighting a newly growing headache. What was he going to do now?

"Harry, did you hear about the woman in Snape's room this morning?" Neville Longbottom was at the Gryffindor table for dinner, when he saw Harry, Hermione and Ron sit down.

"What woman?" Ron's curiosity got the better of him.

"I overheard some Hufflepuffs talking about some woman that ran out of Snape's chambers and interrupted his class."

"No way, Professor Snape wouldn't allow anyone to disrupt his class like that. It has to just be a rumor." Hermione decided.

"The git's probably kidnapped the poor girl." Ron argued.

"Who is she?" Harry finally joined the conversation. Everyone looked to Hermione, who had a dumbfounded expression. She recovered from the sudden attention and replied.

"Contrary to what you might think, I do NOT know everything, especially gossip. If you really want to find out who this woman is, I suggest you consult Lavender or Parvati."

"Ask us about what?" Lavender and Parvati had just been walking up to the Gryffindor table when the conversation lead to them.

"About the woman that ran out of Snape's chambers this morning." Piped up Neville. An annoyed look crossed over the girl's faces.

"Actually, all we know is that she's blonde and really pretty." Lavender answered.

"And that she was chasing a puppy." Added Parvati.

"Wait…what?" Ron managed to mumble between bites.

"We don't know anything!" cried Lavender, clearly distraught that there was some bit of gossip that eluded her. The gossip girls walked away, to the other end of the table, sulking.

"Hey, I think we should find out what's up with this girl." Explained Ron.

"Sure thing, Nancy Drew." Retorted Hermione over the book that she had just opened.

"Who's Nancy Drew?"

"Never mind. I think it's silly. Did you ever consider that maybe; just maybe, Professor Snape might have a life outside of teaching?" Ron, Harry and Neville all exchanged glances.

"No." They all concluded.

Despite Hermione's protests, Ron and Harry eventually got her to spy with them later that night, under the invisibility cloak (that hardly covered them). They, slowly, made their way to the dungeons, to catch the man that had probably kidnapped a poor, defenseless, young witch.

When they reached the large, wooden, door, they pushed it open as quietly as they could manage. The three of them shuffled towards the door, but stopped when they reached the middle of the classroom.

Two voices could be heard from behind the wooden door that lead to Snape's quarters. One was easily identifiable as the greasy professor. The other was distinctly female. The golden trio could hear the second voice shout, before the door to his office opened.

Out stepped a beautiful young woman. Her long legs sent her down the steps quickly, in long strides. Soon after, the bat himself ventured out of his cave.

"Serena! Get back in here!"

"Nobody's out here Severus!"

"You don't know that!" The woman looked around the classroom.

"I don't see anyone."

"That doesn't mean there's no one here." She calmed.

"What do you mean?"

"After seeing magic, is there anything that seems impossible anymore?" The woman named Serena seemed conflicted. She strode over to the potions master, eyes filled with emotion.

"I just want to get out. I don't have to leave, but I can't stand being cooped up in those rooms until you find out if it's safe for me to go home."

"We'll figure something out. But right now, can we please talk without running the risk of someone seeing you?" Serena gave a defeated sigh and shrugged past the man before her.

Once the two adults had left the room, the three invisible inhabitants released the breath they were all holding. They had amazing luck. Originally, they were planning on looking through the Potions professor's things in hopes of finding something on the mystery girl. But now that they had more information than they had expected to find in a million years. The students raced back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Alright, I think it's safe to say that the Professor is NOT kidnapping her," explained Hermione.

"Are you joking? Did you see the poor girl? She doesn't want to be with him! She was practically in tears!" shouted Ron. Luckily, no one was around to hear him.

"You really only listen to what you want to hear don't you?" added Harry. "She clearly stated that Professor Snape was trying to keep her safe."

"I don't remember that."

"Of course you don't Ronald." Hermione stated. "Now, can we please just accept that nothing bad is going on?"

"Well, Mione, I think something bad _is_ happening, but Snape's not the source. There's something bigger going on." Catching on to what Harry was saying, Hermione interjected.

"Harry, for once, something terrible isn't happening to you. Can't you just let it go and leave it to the real people involved?"

"But we are involved Hermione! We're witnesses. We know too much to not be involved."

"Harry, no, we could just walk away and pretend we never saw anything."

"I can't. I know Voldemort's behind this. He probably wants the witch dead."

"What witch?"

"The witch that Snape's protecting."

"Harry, she's not a witch. She's a muggle."

"What? How'd you know?"

"Snape mentioned that she hadn't seen magic until just recently. Muggle-born children find out about magic when they get their letters, once they turn eleven. That woman was definitely older than eleven."

"What's she doing at Hogwarts?"

"Like you said, Voldemort probably wants her dead."

"But…why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he was on a raid and she got away or something."

"That does make sense."

"Of course it does, I said it." Their light laughter was followed by a light snore. The pair looked down at the table they were sitting at and saw Ron, face flat, on the cherry wood. He had fallen asleep. It was then that the two students realized how late it really was. So, the boy-who-lived and his 'brain' went upstairs to their respective dormitories and went to bed. Yes, they left Ron downstairs.

In the morning, Hermione and Harry found Ron drooling on the common room table. After some poking, prodding and 'Five more minutes Mum,' Ron finally managed to pick himself up, freshen up and head for breakfast with the other two members of the Golden Trio.

Once they all got to the breakfast table, they joined in on animated conversations with Ginny and Neville. The eggs were a little dry, but that didn't stop Ron from shoveling as many as he could fit into his mouth. Without any warning, however, Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, for the entire hall to hear.

"Attention." All eyes were instantly on him. "For some time, Hogwarts will be playing host to a professor from one of our sister schools in Japan. Please say hello to Professor Chiba of Osaka Academy of Magic." A young woman with straight black hair, down to her waist stood up from her seat next to Professor Dumbledore. "I expect you all to treat her with the utmost respect. She is here to observe how we run our institution so that she might be able to take any tips on our success back to her own school." This foreign professor's green eyes scanned the Great hall with an expression of unease. She kind of looked like she was going to puke.


	4. Chapter 4

Snape's Secret

Chapter 4

Serena stood at the head table, wearing the disguise conjured by Severus, and stared down at the hundreds of students gazing at her. She felt like some kind of circus animal on display. After a moment though, the crowd turned back to their breakfasts, forgetting the new oddity already. Absentmindedly, her right hand twitched, blindly searching for Darien's hand to hold in her discomfort. But, of course, Darien wasn't there. She didn't know where he was, or even where she was really. Instead, she looked to her left, where Severus sat, glaring at one student table in particular.

The students seated at the long table were draped in black, silver and green. She wasn't sure what about them had made the raven-haired man so angry, but Serena knew that her questions often went unanswered in this topsy-turvy place, so she didn't bother asking.

In an attempt to calm her nerves, Serena piled some breakfast on her plate and tried to eat. Contrary to her normal eating habits, she found it difficult to muster up an appetite. It wasn't long until the students started to leave the hall, on their way to their respective classes for the day. Serena was glad to see them go, even though she knew they were harmless.

"Please excuse me, Ms. Chiba." Serena looked up to see Severus speaking to her, having gotten up from his seat. They had agreed he should address her by her alias, in order to keep up the appearance that she was a visiting professor. Not to mention she couldn't actually do any magic, but they created a fake wand for her, so no one would suspect anything was amiss.

"I need to be leaving now. You can feel free to roam the halls. Please stay inside until I see you later. If you would like to go outside to the grounds, I'd appreciate it if you waited for either Minerva or me to accompany you." Even though his mouth stayed firm, Serena could almost see him smiling through his eyes. "You will be safe." He waited for Serena to nod her understanding before he strode away.

Serena waited a few more minutes for more students to leave, before she looked around, wondering if she was expected to clean up after herself. Peering at the places where Minerva and the headmaster had been sitting, she saw that their plates and goblets were gone. Unsure of how to proceed, she glanced down at the place where her plate was. Except, it had disappeared. She looked around some more, expecting to see a member of the wait staff, but saw no one. Shaking her head, she accepted that magic was probably involved and began her exploration of the castle.

There were too many halls to count, but Serena did her best to keep track of where she was going. However, by the time she was ready to have lunch, she realized she was hopelessly lost. After riding one too many changing staircases, Serena couldn't even figure out which floor she was on. Pacing from one side of the floor to the other, she almost didn't realize someone was speaking to her.

She turned around, not sure where the voice came from. She turned around again, her new black hair whipping her in the face, not seeing anyone that might have spoken.

"Over here girl." At last, Serena's eyes landed on one of those mysterious paintings. Not only was the man depicted in it moving, but talking as well. In fact, he was talking to her! Cautiously, Serena approached the painting.

"I've noticed you run around in quite a tizzy. Am I to understand you've gotten yourself lost?" Still dumbstruck that she was going to have a conversation with a work of art, Serena just nodded, mouth agape.

"Well it's all quite simple really," the old man-painting started. "You just need to go straight down the hall there." He squinted and pointed to an unfamiliar looking hallway. "There's a series of stairwells at the end that don't move much, you can follow them to the first floor." He smiled when he finished explaining the directions.

"Oh, uh, thank you sir." Serena wasn't sure what else she might say to a painting.

"It's nothing at all. Not too many people travel this particular hall. It was nice to see another face." The young woman felt some sympathy for the old man that helped her, even if he wasn't real.

"Well, if I can find this place again, I'm sure we could talk another time." Serena smiled back at the painting.

"That would be splendid." He waved as Serena disappeared down the hall he had directed her to.

Serena was glad to find that the stairs that she was pointed to really didn't feel like moving. At one point, she felt them shudder, as if they were thinking about it, but then changed their mind. She had gripped the banister as if her life depended on it during those few seconds, before resuming her travel.

By the time she made it to the Great Hall, it was dark outside and Serena was starving. Only a few people were still in the hall at all: several students and three teachers. Two of the professors that sat at the head table Serena had been briefly introduced to, but couldn't remember their names. The third was Minerva. She sat at her spot, looking down as if she were grading papers. Serena discovered that was, in fact, what the older witch was doing, once she arrived at her chair.

"Good heavens, child. Where have you been?" Serena just shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a roll of bread that was sitting on the platter in front of her. It looked like whatever magic made food appear and disappear had decided that dinner time was over and took most of the food away, leaving only small bits to snack on.

"You must be famished. Boppy!" Before Serena could even swallow and ask what the old woman had shouted that last word out for, a short gray creature appeared out of thin air. It wore what looked like a potato sack and a yellowed chefs hat.

"Yes Missus Professor. What could Boppy be doing for the Professor?"

"Boppy, could you please see to it that Professor Chiba here gets a proper meal? It appears she's missed dinner."

"Oh, yes! Boppy will be getting Missus Professor Chiba more food right away!" The little creature produced an ear-to-ear smile before disappearing to who knew where. Minerva gave Serena a soft smile.

"She'll make sure some food arrives any second." The witch told her. She was right too. Almost instantly, Serena sat in front of platters of steaming platters of food. They had all appeared out of nowhere, just as Boppy had.

Her hunger taking over, Serena quickly gathered a little bit of everything onto her plate, which had also materialized, and began eating. Suddenly remembering her manners, Serena turned to the professor and uttered a hurried 'thank you' with her mouth full. So much for manners.

As she ate, Minerva occasionally sparked short conversations with the young woman. Asking how she had spent her day and mentioning memorable moments in her own day. Once Serena began to slow down in her eating, Minerva asked if she was interested in seeing the grounds. After her long day of exploring, however, Serena was more than content to simply go back to Severus and her rooms and go to bed.

When she was full and done eating, Serena laid back in her chair for a moment, to digest before leaving. That was some really good food, except the pumpkin juice. Minerva watched the young woman from the corner of her eye and grinned as she saw Serena struggle with the stirrings of drowsiness.

"Did you need some help to your room, dear?" Serena opened her eyes and smiled at the woman.

"Oh no thanks. I think I remember the way. Just….give me a minute." She giggled at the end of her response, proof of her tiredness.

"If you're sure. Just so you know, Severus went out earlier today and I'm not sure when he'll be back. In case he isn't back when you arrive at your rooms, I thought you should know."

"Where'd he go?" Serena asked, rubbing her food baby.

"Oh….he had an errand to run." Serena gave Minerva a suspicious look and the old witch knew it, but didn't give any more details.

After an ample amount of time letting her stomach settle, Serena picked herself up and made her way to her room, remembering that Watson hadn't eaten since that morning. She picked up her pace, knowing the small dog was hungry and probably crying at the door for her.

She arrived at Severus's door and opened it to be greeted by blackness. Somewhere not far, she could hear soft puppy cries. Serena groped the wall, searching for a light switch, then remembered there was no electricity where she was. Instead, she searched for the candle-stick she recalled Severus leaving by the doorway, on a table; she only hoped he left matches with it.

Once she managed to light the withering candle, she gasped at the sight that greeted her. Watson sat crying at the foot of an armchair that had Severus Snape sprawled out on it, bloody.

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